Agile Transformation
Agile software development methods can deliver tremendous impact to software development. Studies show Agile can deliver higher quality, shorter development cycles, improved customer value, and lower costs… the value is clear. However, Agile is not a magic bullet – there are key factors to consider when implementing Agile in the enterprise context to produce the results you’re looking for in terms of improved quality, more rapid cycle times and cost savings.
According to Dr. Ahmed Sidky, a leading Agilist and co-author of "Becoming Agile in an Imperfect World", it is critical to understand an organization's readiness to move to Agile including potential constraints. He suggests that Agile transformation should be undertaken in distinct stages to reduce overall risk and improve time to value. Agile transformation done right can indeed provide many benefits to an organization in terms of quality, reduced development times and costs, and improved customer satisfaction. The challenge for a large enterprise often becomes balancing the flexibility, transparency and collaboration needed for Agile while ensuring management oversight across both Agile and traditional teams.
MKS is a recognized leader in Agile for the enterprise and MKS Integrity has been an integral part of our customers’ successful Agile transformations. MKS Integrity's process configurability, out of the box support for both Agile and traditional methods (with a Scrum template that is usable out of the box), and our strength in supporting the actual running of Agile development projects is what drives both analyst recognition and customer adoption of our solutions. The table below lists many of the most common impediments to enterprise Agile as well as the key capabilities of the MKS platform to uniquely solve them.
| Agile Transformation Impediment |
MKS Solution Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Lack of Process Flexibility Many organizations adopt text-book Agile with standard Agile tooling. Agile "project management" does not scale well and will not address the information and compliance demands of large organizations. |
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| Lack of Mixed Method Support The diversity of many organizations requires the use of more than one methodology to be successful. While Agile may work for many groups, it rarely works for all, therefore, a platform that supports traditional and Agile methods (or a mix of the two) is critical. |
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| Geographically Distributed Teams Although not optimal for Agile teams, geographic distribution is a fact of life in most enterprises, therefore, an Agile solution must foster collaboration of disparate teams. |
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| Regulatory Compliance Many organizations want to move to Agile, but compliance requirements create risk that typical Agile tools cannot handle. These organizations need a proven platform for managing this risk. |
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| Organizational Complexity The complexity of many organizations does not lend itself to typical Agile tooling. Many organizations need flexibility and scalability for thousands of users. |
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